Case

Community Health System: From Reactive Staffing to Data-Driven Workforce Optimization

See how Community Health System achieved 350% ROI by replacing reactive staffing with a centralized, data-driven workforce optimization model.

Community Health System at a glance

Workforce readiness is essential to patient care

Community Health System (CHS) serves approximately 60% of healthcare demand in California’s Central Valley. Its four hospitals, more than 1,200 beds and 11,000-plus employees support a critical regional care network that includes the area’s only Level I Trauma Center.

CHS worked with HROES, a Simms & Associates company, to replace reactive staffing and retrospective reporting with a centralized workforce optimization model.

350%ROI on workforce optimization initiatives
11,000+employees supported across the health system
60%of regional healthcare demand served
4hospitals working toward one workforce model

The transformation journey

From limited visibility to a strategic workforce capability

1

The challenge

Staffing decisions were fragmented and based on historical information. Managers had limited insight into skills, demand and performance, while overtime and agency reliance increased pressure.

2

The shift

CHS established a four-person centralized workforce team, expanded UKG adoption, standardized processes and equipped managers with real-time workforce intelligence.

3

The outcome

Workforce data became a daily decision-making tool—supporting lower labor costs, stronger scheduling, improved compliance and greater management capacity.

Jon Stabbe, Director, Staffing Strategy and Workforce Optimization

We didn’t know how to move people effectively. We didn’t know where we had certain skill sets. We were operating on data from the past.

Jon Stabbe, PHR, SHRM-CP
Director, Staffing Strategy and Workforce Optimization, Community Medical Centers

What changed

A scalable workforce optimization model

CHS combined internal leadership with specialist healthcare workforce expertise to build sustainable capability in five connected areas.

Centralized workforce ownership
Deeper UKG adoption
Real-time workforce intelligence
Manager enablement
Standardized hospital processes

Measurable impact

Sustainable results at scale

  • 350% return on workforce optimization initiatives
  • Significant reduction in overtime and agency spend
  • Lower absenteeism and employee turnover
  • Improved scheduling accuracy and compliance
  • Increased manager capacity and effectiveness
Technology adoption

“We had this big UKG system with all these bells and whistles—we were using maybe 5% of it.”

By moving beyond basic system usage and developing meaningful reporting through UKG Data Hub, CHS gave managers clearer visibility into staffing needs, skills gaps and performance.

Today, the organization continues to advance analytics, dashboards, predictive workforce planning and continuous optimization.

Read the complete CHS success story

Download the full case study for the detailed transformation model, results and practical advice from CHS for healthcare organizations beginning a similar journey.

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Related expertise

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"We didn’t know how to move people effectively. We didn’t know where we had certain skill sets. We were operating on data from the past."

Jon Stabbe, PHR, SHRM-CP // Director, Staffing Strategy and Workforce Optimization, Community Medical Centers

The challenge: limited visibility and rising pressure

When Jon Stabbe, Director, Staffing Strategy and Workforce Optimization at Community Medical Centers, stepped into his role during COVID, the urgency was clear: staffing needed greater control, structure and visibility.

Despite its scale, CHS was operating in silos. The organization relied heavily on overtime and agency staffing, managers lacked real-time workforce insights, and decisions were based on historical data rather than current demand.

  • Heavy reliance on overtime and agency staffing
  • Limited real-time visibility into workforce performance
  • Insufficient tools and insights for managers
  • Limited visibility of employee skills and workforce mobility
  • Fragmented staffing processes across hospitals

From an internal effort to a strategic collaboration

CHS recognized that improving workforce performance required more than filling shifts. It needed to elevate workforce management from an operational activity to a strategic capability, unlock more value from UKG, and embed data-driven decision-making into daily operations.

HROES brought healthcare workforce transformation experience, structure and proven practices to help CHS define a sustainable route forward.

Building a centralized workforce optimization model

Through a combination of strong internal leadership and external workforce expertise, CHS established a scalable operating model built around five priorities:

A centralized workforce team

A dedicated four-person team took ownership of scheduling, timekeeping, staffing analytics and UKG Workforce Management.

Deeper UKG adoption

CHS moved beyond basic system usage, activated more advanced capabilities and developed meaningful reporting through UKG Data Hub.

Real-time data and decision-making

The organization shifted from retrospective reporting to current, actionable workforce insights. Managers gained clearer visibility into staffing needs, skills gaps and performance.

Manager enablement and partnership

The centralized workforce team became a business partner to operational leaders. Managers were equipped to interpret workforce data and act on evidence rather than instinct.

Standardization across hospitals

CHS broke down silos, improved workforce mobility and skill visibility, and established a more consistent approach to staffing decisions.

"We had this big UKG system with all these bells and whistles—we were using maybe 5% of it."

Jon Stabbe, PHR, SHRM-CP // Director, Staffing Strategy and Workforce Optimization, Community Medical Centers

The impact: sustainable results at scale

Within three years, CHS transformed its workforce operations into a scalable, data-driven model. Workforce data became a daily decision-making tool rather than a retrospective report.

  • 350% ROI on workforce optimization initiatives
  • Significant reduction in overtime and agency spend
  • Lower absenteeism and employee turnover
  • Improved scheduling accuracy and compliance
  • Increased manager capacity and effectiveness

The collaboration between CHS and HROES, a Simms & Associates company, helped ensure the improvements were not only implemented, but sustained through clear internal ownership and continuous optimization.

A sustainable path forward

CHS continues to evolve its workforce strategy through advanced analytics and dashboards, predictive workforce planning and continuous optimization of its staffing models. What began as a response to crisis has become a long-term workforce strategy.

Advice from CHS

For healthcare organizations beginning a similar journey, Jon Stabbe recommends starting with real-time data, investing in dedicated workforce expertise, using more of the technology already available, and enabling managers to act on insight rather than instinct.

The takeaway: CHS demonstrates that workforce optimization is not about asking people to work harder. It is about combining the right technology, expertise and operating model to make better workforce decisions.

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